Just Visiting
by Kulmanari
Summary: Zack and Cody Martin are just fictional television characters played by twin actors Dylan and Cole Sprouse. At least that’s what they thought until a vacation cruise aboard the Disney Wonder goes completely awry...
1. Vacation!

Just Visiting

"Vacation!"

**A/N:** _I'm sure most all of the readers here know the actors who play the Suite Life characters, but just in case there's a few that don't: Zack and Cody Martin are played by Dylan and Cole Sprouse respectively and Phil Lewis plays Mr. Moseby._

"Well boys it's been a…interesting…semester. I'm sure everyone will miss you the next time we set sail!" Mr. Moseby said to Zack and Cody Martin who stood with the rest of their classmates on the main deck waiting for the S.S. Tipton to finish docking at her port in New York. Zack raised his eyebrow, clearly catching the sarcasm.

"But Mr. Moseby, with all the money our mom has saved from not having to buy us groceries, replace things we break at the hotel and having to pickup Zack from detention all the time she's able to afford another semester at Seven Seas High!" Cody said brightly, a winning smile on his face. Zack gave him a dirty look at first about the detention comment and then shrugged, seeing the logic in his brother's statement. Moseby's great bit smiling happy face slowly turned to a look of pure terror as he looked from one twin to the other, hoping in vain that they were kidding.

"NOOOO!!!" Moseby screamed in a high pitched voice, staggering sideways and having to hold onto the deck rail to remain standing. The boy's teacher went over to comfort him, but soon they were both crying at the unfairness of it all.

Zack and Cody gave the two of them looks of extreme incredularity for several seconds before smiles started creeping across their faces, forming first at the corners of their lips, as they lost their composure. They glanced at each other and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Cut!!!" a familiar voice shouted from the twins left side further down the rail. "Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the taping for the final episode of the Suite Life on Deck, season one!" The nearby live audience burst into applause and supportive cheers as the director finished his sentence.

Dylan Sprouse gave the audience a bow while Cole gave them his winning smile and a grateful wave. Together the boys shook Phil Lewis's hand and congratulated him on his performance before they made their way towards the director who turned to address the audience once again.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming to watch and your support. It means a lot to us all!" He paused for a moment as deafening cheers from the mostly teen girl audience buffeted him before continuing, "Now you won't be able to see your favorite twins on television for awhile, except when the new episodes of the Suite Life air on the Disney Channel, because they're taking some well deserved time off and going on a cruise to the hottest destinations in the Atlantic and Caribbean. Though I'm sure SOMEONE will catch them on a camera and post in on YouTube the first chance they get," he finished with a grin after that last remark.

As a renewed outburst of cheers exploded from the audience, Dylan walked up to the divider that separated the audience seating from the rest of the set with Cole in tow. Together they worked their way down the bottom row as girls packed in tightly to get autographs and an occasional hug from their favorite heartthrob teen actors. It wasn't often the twins gave back so much to the audience, but it was the end of the first season after all and they were feeling full of life in anticipation of several weeks of blessed rest and relaxation aboard the cruise ship Disney Wonder.

With a final goodbye, more waving and smiling, the boys made their way off the set and towards the studio exit. Their new talent manager Tim met them by the exit.

"Awesome work guys! So are you ready to hit the waves and catch some sun?"

"You know it!" Dylan answered excitedly, following Tim out into the parking lot behind the stage to his SUV. Unexpectedly Tim tossed his car keys at Dylan who barely caught them, as his head had been in the clouds for a moment, thinking about the fun in store for them on the Wonder.

"Wanna drive?" Tim asked with a sly grin. The twins had their driver's licenses' now, but even so they rarely were able to drive except for a few hours of free time on the weekends under their father's supervision.

"Heck yeah, thanks!" Cole seemed a bit put out by not being offered the keys first.

"No speeding says your dad. You're driving us to wherever you guys want to go for a quick bite to eat and then Cole is driving us the rest of the way to the airport."

"Sweet!" Cole replied, jumping into the back seat while Dylan and Tim climbed into the front seats. The boys proceeded to have a short debate over where to eat before leaving.

Several hours later Dylan and Cole had checked their baggage at the terminal, gotten their first class tickets printed up and boarded the plane that would be taking them to Orlando, Florida where they would then be driven by a Disney employee to Cape Canaveral where the Wonder was presently docked. It went off mostly without a hitch, though the Los Angles airport was an easy place for famous stars to be spotted. After being surprised by the occasional squealing outburst of a fan and escaping the ones following them through the airport Tim stayed with them until they boarded and then bade them farewell.

Dylan played on his Nintendo DS for awhile while Cole read a book. They talked with the people nearest to them for a few minutes and were mildly amused when their flight attendant had to shoo off a group of girls that had snuck up to first class to catch a glimpse of them. Cole gave them a goofy wave to go along with Dylan's wink and thumbs up as they left.

"That'll probably end up on the Internet, I think one of them had a camera phone," Dylan mused, shutting off his DS and reclining his seat, ready to take a nap on their non stop flight from LAX to OIA. Cole tucked away his book in his carry on backpack and reclined his seat back as well.

"Yeah. Anyway, feels good to be done with the first season. Now here we are taking a vacation on a cruise liner. So ironic," Cole said, closing his eyes and getting comfortable.

"Just think, tomorrow afternoon we'll be kicking back in Florida doing whatever we want. Can't wait!" Cole mumbled an affirmative and Dylan decided it was best to just stop talking and go to sleep himself. He quickly fell into a deep rest and dreamt of some of the last few episodes of the Suite Life on Deck where he was Zack living and going to school aboard the luxury liner S.S. Tipton with his brother and all of their co-stars as though it were his real life.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So yeah! Really different direction that what my other current story "The Chaos Demons" is taking. Sorry, no demons, time traveling, super powers or hectic battles to stay alive here. This is just an idea I've been thinking about lately and thought it might make a good short story.

Well now, Dylan and Cole are off on their vacation and soon they'll be hitting the high seas aboard the Disney Wonder. Who knows what'll happen…they might just run into another famous luxury cruiser liner on the open ocean...

Let me know if you like this idea please! Until next time, peace out!


	2. The Day Before Tommorow

**Chapter Two**

"**The Day Before Tomorrow"**

_You take the breath right out of me  
You left a hole where my heart should be  
You got to fight just to make it through  
'Cause I will be the death of you_

_"Breath" by Breaking Benjamin_

"Hottie at four o'clock," Dylan said, watching a blond haired girl walk to the edge of the pool and jump in. He and his brother were chilling on some pool chairs that were sitting under an umbrella, watching people enjoy themselves. They were still a little damp from having swum earlier themselves, but now that the lunch crowd had recovered and returned to the pool in force, they now thought it was best to hide out. Both boys were stretched out on their chairs in nothing but swimming trunks, sunglasses and hats that were turned sideways. Their shirts, towels and room keys lie in a pile between them.

"Dude you're a perv, she's like three years younger than you…" Cole said, tilting his glasses down to get a better look. Dylan swatted him playfully.

"Not that girl, the one over there in the deep end you nut." He hissed back.

"Oh…hello there," Cole said, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"Hey I saw her first bro," Dylan teased. His brother gave him an incredulous look.

"Like she'd go out with you! I'm the hotter twin according to our fans," Cole joked, teasing him back. They had a little laugh at that one. He was thinking of all the fan videos and comments left on their website for some reason. Dylan knew the feeling, it was weird being on the outside looking in for a change. Here onboard the Wonder they were just normal brothers taking a vacation together rather than famous stars being hounded by their fans or the paparazzi constantly. They'd made the slip from L.A. to Florida pretty quick and the Wonder's cruise was sold out when they'd made the announcement that they were going to their fans at the final taping of season one. They were safe from the press for now and it would take awhile before anyone onboard besides the Disney staff realized that they were here. It was day three of the voyage, and so far no problems had come up.

"You'll believe anything won't you Sarah?" a girl's voice interrupted Dylan's thoughts for nearby. He and Cole both glanced over next to them at a small group of girls their age who had taken seats at a little table under an umbrella, finishing off some kind of iced fruit drinks. Either the girls didn't see them sitting there, or they were very good at checking them out without either of the boys noticing.

"I trust my friends Kate," another girl, presumably Sarah retorted. Sarah was very cute looking, her chocolate brown eyes were warm and inviting framed by silky shoulder length bronze colored hair. Kate by contrast wasn't much to look at, pale and pasty with short black hair. Dylan had the impression that she was one of those gothic chicks, though what she was doing out here in the bright sunlit happy environment of the cruise liner's main deck was beyond him.

"You'd think they'd make a big deal of it if they were really here." Kate continued, clearly not swayed by her friend's argument. "You only want to see the Sprouses' because they're good looking and funny, the same reasons of every other simpering fan girl that they have…why would they want to meet you?" Dylan pulled his hat down slightly as though it would keep him hidden better and exchanged a nervous glance with Cole. Their anonymity onboard was never meant to last long, but to have it blown in the first few days would really suck!

"They get so much of that, I think they'd really appreciate just hanging out with people who treat them like normal guys while on vacation. I'd take them to lunch or just hang if I met them. I wouldn't go crazy like you think I would." Dylan was taking a liking to Sarah already. So cute, so nice, so down to earth!

"Yeah, whatever Sarah. We'll leave you to look for them!" Kate and the other girls walked off laughing, leaving Sarah sitting alone at the table.

"Hey what are you doing?" Cole hissed at him as Dylan got up and went over to Sarah. He gave his brother a vigorous 'not now!' gesture mid step before continuing. He noticed that she was on the verge of tears because her friends wouldn't believe her and so he took an empty chair next to her.

"Don't be sad," Dylan whispered, meeting her pained brown eyes with his and smiling slightly. Man, she was so cute! She hiccupped and looked away towards the pool.

"My friends don't believe me…my best friend back home told me that her cousin told her that they announced on the final taping of the Suite Life on Deck Season One that Dylan and Cole would be taking a vacation on the Wonder. I was so excited when I heard the news, but everyone thinks I'm lying when I tell them." She spilled her thoughts in a rush of emotion. Sarah looked back at him and smiled warmly, brushing away the tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! Hi, I'm Sarah Evans," she greeted, clearly wanting to forget about how her friends had just treated her and strike up an enjoyable conversation with another passenger.

"Hey, Sarah. Nice to meet ya! I'm Dylan Sprouse," he replied, taking off his glasses and hat for a few seconds before putting them back on, revealing his blue green eyes and damp blond hair which had now conformed to the shape of his hat. She was absolutely speechless.

"No way…" she finally managed to say.

"Way! So is that offer for lunch still good?" He asked. Dylan truly was hungry, not having eaten anything beyond a banana and a granola bar this morning, but he welcomed the opportunity to just be a normal person for awhile have lunch with a nice girl. "My treat," Dylan added after a slight pause for she was still staring at him, it was getting a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh! Sure, yeah. When did you want to go? Any places in mind?" She burst out in a rush again, smiling nervously. So cute!

"Actually I do know this cool place, let's go there," Dylan caught Cole giving him a look that clearly read 'What the heck are you doing?' and he just shrugged back at him. "Oh, give Cole a wave, he's a bit cranky today," he chuckled, nodding his head in his brother's direction. If it was possible Sarah blushed even more as she did so and Cole only gave her a half hearted wave back, staring daggers at Dylan in the process.

"Ready?" Just like that Dylan managed to have a great afternoon talking with Sarah, not that she didn't enjoy herself either. She was ecstatic, but thankfully she kept her feet firmly planted on the deck the whole time which he really appreciated. It was nice to just be a normal teenager for once.

Several hours later Dylan was standing on the foredeck, leaning against the rail enjoying the warm salty sea breeze caressing his skin as he looked out over the ocean to the dark horizon. It looked like they were going to hit a storm in the distance, which was perfectly normal during the late summer months in the Atlantic Ocean, so he was enjoying his last few minutes outside before being forced inside again.

He'd had a really good time with Sarah this afternoon, it was really refreshing to just hang out and be normal for a day, no matter how much it had made his brother mad for letting people know he was onboard. After having a nice lunch at an outdoor café that served all manner of foods, though he decided to stick with just a good old chicken breast sandwich and a salad, they returned to their rooms to change and meet up for a movie on the Wonder's lower decks where the entertainment and shopping areas were located. It had been a really great day, he couldn't wait to see Sarah again tomorrow. The cruise liner would be arriving at Bermuda tomorrow morning and they planned on spending some quality time at the beach and maybe walking through all the various shops and tourist destinations nearby. He'd have to put up with a bodyguard whenever he left the ship, he and Cole each had one in case they wanted to go to separate places, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Dylan closed his eyes and breathed in the sea air deeply, it made him feel really alive and really tired at the same time. He felt like he could just lay down right here on one of the deck chairs and sleep under the stars, if it wasn't for the storm coming and Cole wondering where he was, he might have done that. This vacation was turning out pretty good so far he had to admit. He opened his eyes and was immediately puzzled by a shimmer in the air ahead of the cruise liner. It was only there for a split second and then everything was normal again. He must be seeing things…Then it happened again.

The space between the Wonder and the approaching storm seemed to warp and twist, distorting the image of the sea and clouds ahead of them. What the hell was that? It seemed like the bridge crew didn't notice it because the ship kept sailing at the same speed right towards it. Dylan had a funny feeling that he didn't want to find out what that distortion was, it was just wrong and he didn't belong anywhere near it. He took a few tentative steps away from the railing, but was unable to completely flee from the approaching distortion. As much as he feared it, it also intrigued him. It took a few seconds before a single thought broke into his mind that made him turn around and start running...'curiosity killed the cat'.

With impossible speed the distortion washed over him, it was warm and became extremely bright. Arcs of lighting seemed to be streaking all throughout it and it made Dylan feel like he was being shocked by static electricity all over his body. The pain was agonizing. He just wanted it to stop! He felt like his skin was being burned off and his insides were on fire, like the flames were trying to claw their way out of his body from deep within. He screamed in agony and slammed face first into the deck, the distortion physically pushing him down and spinning him sideways.

He cracked open an eye to see what was going on and saw the bow of the Wonder engulfed in a bright light, though it was shattered and distorted as though he were looking at it through a kaleidoscope. Just beyond the bow there was a massive shape coming towards them, it looked like another cruise liner, ablaze in its running and cabin lights. It was easily bigger than the Wonder, and the two ships were on a collision course, seconds away from slamming into each other. Dylan looked around, frantically searching for a life vest or something that he could hold onto should he be thrown overboard…but it was too late. As the two ships slammed into each other, he felt all of the air get sucked out of his lungs, his ears popped and it felt as though the hand of god had just swatted him like a fly on a wall. Darkness overcame Dylan's vision as he was knocked unconscious.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whoa whoa whoa! A slow morning turns into an extremely fun afternoon when Dylan treats a down to earth fan to the most memorable day she's had in a long while and then all of a sudden, before they can hang out again, the Wonder is struck by something that no one can explain several hours out from Bermuda. What'll happen to everyone on board the Disney Wonder? Will she go down, taking everyone with her? What will happen to our favorite actors Dylan and Cole? Will they survive the impact? What did Dylan really see rushing at them seconds before he passed out? The Wonder is just seconds from disaster...or is it?

Please review and stay tuned!!!

Till next time, peace out!


	3. Aftermath

**Chapter 3**

"**Aftermath"**

_  
I wanna run away  
Never say goodbye  
I wanna know the truth  
Instead of wondering why  
I wanna know the answers  
No more lies  
I wanna shut the door  
And open up my mind_

_"Runaway" by Linkin Park_

"Ugh…" Dylan moaned as he started to wake up, realizing that he was lying face down on the deck. He felt like he had a hangover…not that he knew firsthand what that actually felt like, but he figured that it was close enough. His head was pounding, ears were ringing and he felt totally wiped out without enough energy to even attempt to pick himself up off the floor. A warm rain was gently coming down, soaking the back of his t-shirt and shorts. It must be the storm he'd seen in the distance just before…just before that other ship came out of nowhere and collided with the Wonder.

"What the...? Zack is that you?" a familiar voice asked from what seemed like miles above him. Dylan was confused for a moment, thinking at first the person was talking to him since he played Zack's character on his show and then thinking that maybe they were talking to another Zack. Suddenly he felt hands grab a hold of him by his shoulders. With a sudden surge of energy, Dylan quickly rolled over onto his back and tried to shove away the person's hands. What did they want with him?

"Whoa…get off me dude!" He shouted, managing to roll away and jump up on his feet. He'd raised his voice partly to threaten the person and partly to draw attention to any nearby passengers or crew in case he needed help. He didn't feel particularly threatened being aboard a Disney cruise liner and all, but he wasn't used to strangers touching him without his consent either.

"Calm down Zack. What are you doing up here this late anyway? Good heavens you're soaked too!" Dylan calmed down immediately, though remained highly suspicious, as he realized that he was speaking to none other than Phil Lewis. What he was doing aboard the Wonder was anyone's guess since he should be on the other side of the United States visiting family and taking some well deserved time off.

"We're not on the set Phil. You don't have to call me that…"

"What? Oh pish posh just go to your room!" Phil said in an agitated tone, waving at him to go away. Why was he acting like this?

"Yeah…See you tomorrow," Dylan muttered, walking past his co-worker and making his way along the side of the ship towards the forward most elevators that would take him down to the cabin decks. Something strange was going on, of that much he was sure. If he looked past the whole boat collision thing that he swore he'd seen and just accepted that it hadn't really happened, Dylan still knew something was wrong here. For starters, his co-star Phil Lewis was onboard when he shouldn't be and was he wearing a suit? Dylan glanced back to check, but the man was already gone. Then there was the whole thing about calling him 'Zack'. Only Dylan and Cole's really young fans who didn't know their real life names ever called them that in person, not knowing any better.

After a moment Dylan had something else to add to his list of weird things. None of his surroundings looked familiar, well they did in a sense that he was seeing a cruise liner, but he didn't recognize any of it. It was also hard to tell in the dim light, but he thought that the color scheme of the paint was also the wrong color. Instead of the vibrant whites, blues, golds and reds common throughout the Wonder, everything looked green.

Wait a minute! Dylan spun around taking in the ship's design and color scheme. It couldn't be…He glanced over the rail at the ocean racing past far below, salty spray reaching halfway up the side of the boat. Everything about the ship seemed real, and yet it couldn't possibly be real.

"Hey Zack! Weren't you going to your room?" Another familiar voice asked. Dylan spun around to see his brother coming towards him with their co-star Debbie Ryan, who played Bailey Pickett on the Suite Life, in tow. Now he knew things were really wrong. Why was Cole calling him Zack? What was his brother and co-star doing wearing the kind of clothes that they did on the show? Since when was Debbie on board the Wonder?

"Dude Cole, I'm sick and tired of you guys messing with me." Dylan said angrily, crossing his arms and glaring at his brother.

"Who's Cole?" Cole asked, a startled and confused look crossing his face. Debbie glanced back and forth between them, trying to figure out what they were arguing about and whether or not she should leave them alone.

"You are dammit! And I'm Dylan, Zack Martin doesn't exist except on the Suite Life!" Dylan nearly screamed, a note of desperation entering his voice. His own brother didn't know who he was, there were people onboard who shouldn't be and the ship looked all wrong.

"Ok…back to reality. Let's get to bed before Mr. Moseby gets mad at us." Dylan bit his tongue, forcing himself not to contradict his brother. He didn't feel like playing along anymore and was too tired to get into an argument.

"See you tomorrow Bailey," Cole said to Debbie as she headed off towards her own room. Dylan could do nothing more than roll his eyes as Cole led the way below decks to their rooms. He wasn't surprised when they arrived at a pair of doors that looked exactly like the ones on the set of the Suite Life. Dylan decided to drop it. He'd just go lie down, fall asleep and sort this out in the morning if it didn't turn out to be a bad dream when he woke up.

He bid a bitter 'good night' to his brother and entered his own room. In the darkness he could tell that it looked almost exactly like Zack's room on the set of the Suite Life. He made his way over to the bed, ready to just collapse into it and pass out.

There was just one problem…someone was already in the bed and that someone was rousing from his sleep, having been awoken by the bright light shining in through the doorway from the hall.

"Who are you?" Zack Martin asked drowsily. Dylan Sprouse looked at the teenager before him, who looked so much more identical to him than Cole ever would, in absolute disbelief and shock. This wasn't happening…This wasn't real! He wasn't on board the S.S. Tipton, it didn't exist and these people were just works of fiction, not living breathing human beings that he could see and touch. It wasn't real…It was impossible. Dylan passed out, his mind on overload and utterly exhausted from the evening's surprises, his body collapsing to the floor like a stick puppet that had just had its strings cut.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So Dylan has somehow gotten abroad the S.S. Tipton which is featured in the Suite Life on Deck and has found out that the fictional characters in the show are quite real, including the character that he himself plays. What will happen now that Dylan has met his alter ego? Where is Cole? Did he get dragged about the Tipton too or is he still aboard the Wonder mounting a futile search attempt for his brother with the world about to learn that one of it's favorite young actors has gone missing at sea? How will Dylan be able to return to the real world? Can he return? Does Cody have any good ideas or theories?

Stay tuned for **Chapter 4: The Bermuda Triangle**


	4. Preview: The Bermuda Triangle

**Preview: Chapter Four**

"**The Bermuda Triangle"**

"We'll keep an eye out for him Mr. Sprouse," The Wonder's security chief assured him.

"Thanks. He's probably just off somewhere having fun, but he didn't come back to our room last night," Cole replied. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked down the side of the ship. Mario Velasquez, one of the body guards assigned by Disney accompanied him. If he'd been expecting some secret service agent looking person, Cole had been dead wrong. Young and of Latino heritage, Mario was an expert in many forms of martial arts, small arms handling and conflict resolution, but you wouldn't expect him of all that when he was dressed in casual clothing like flashy shirts and swimming trunks. He was pretty damn cool actually.

"He probably snuck off to a dark corner of the ship with a fan." Mario joked, his eyes tracking back and forth over passing guests behind his sunglasses. Every so often a handful of people would freak out when they recognized Cole pass them. He looked so ordinary and no one expected him to be here that many simply overlooked him. The man's words stirred a recent memory about Dylan.

"You know, he was spending some time with a fan yesterday!" Cole snapped his fingers, "I think her name was Sarah Evans?"

"Let's go check with the cruise director and see if we can find her. Maybe she knows where your brother went too." They changed direction and made for the sky deck where the director was usually at.

"She'd better. If we don't find him by tonight I'll have to call dad and tell him he's missing…we'll all be in deep shit then…" Cole bit his lip, scanning the crowd for his brother's familiar face but finding nothing except for the occasional surprised fan staring back at him. This was supposed to be a fun cruise, but it was quickly turning sour.

"Dammit Dyl, where are you?"

* * *

Dylan moaned into the carpet as he started regaining consciousness, his head felt like it was about to explode. He really just wanted an ibuprofen and a glass of cold water right about now. His eyes opened and immediately shut again, nearly blinded by the brilliant while light illuminating the room that he was in.

"Welcome back to the land of the living!" a familiar voice said from off to one side. Dylan turned his head in the speaker's direction and opened his eyes a crack seeing his brother sitting cross legged next to him.

"Cole? Where am I?" he asked drowsily. His brother frowned at him.

"You called me that earlier. I'm Cody Martin. Who's Cole?"

"No, no…" Dylan dropped his face back onto the carpet and muttered into the ground. It was just a dream, it would all go away if he ignored it and didn't accept any of this nonsense.


End file.
